House 2 House Catering

Author: Beth

  • Claiming back costs

    I haven’t been cooking much for myself this week – much to my, and probably your, dismay. The conditions of my employment allow me to claim back food expenditure. Now I am never one to look a gift horse in the mouth; so I have been doing as much as I can to spend as much as I can (within reason) and to try all manner of foods along the way.
    I have been exploring Portobello road which does, in itself, have a massive range of cuisines and catering options. From street foods offering thai, falafel, curries or traditional english pork rolls. There are supermarkets as well (for that cheeky meal deal option if it is too busy elsewhere) but the sheer volume of food and the sheers breadth of cuisine is inspiring to anyone working in the field of catering. Being able to spend someone else’s money on food? Beautiful.

  • Poor weather barbecues

    I spent the last weekend in London doing no small amount of eating, drinking and partying. In the midst of the madness there was a barbecue being conducted by the men of the party (such is the way at these things.) When we kicked it off on Saturday afternoon the weather was ok, we managed a few burgers, some sausages and a couple of steaks. Then the weather took a turn; that is when barbecue etiquette becomes difficult.

     

    The rain started to fall. People had had just enough alcohol, as well, that meat was starting to get left outside on the benches and chairs. People did not seem to care one bit! Alcohol kept flowing and food was starting to get moved inside to the grill but it was too late. One quick rain storm, coupled with a little alcohol, meant the the barbecue was over!

  • Cooking for one

    It is not the most romantic thing in the world, in fact it might be one of the loneliest sounding things one could possibly imagine, but cooking for one (or cooking for yourself to make it sound a little less depressing) is not all that bad actually. It gives you free reign of the kitchen, complete freedom over the dish itself and no one can step in and tell you that you are doing it wrong. In fact, cooking for one might be the best way to possibly prepare food.
    No more will you have anyone tell you the curry you made was “too spicy” for them. The bread you made by hand won’t be “too thick” any more either. Every decision will be yours, every mistake your own and every success will be even greater because of it. Ignore cooking for couples, catering events for your friends and family. Cook for yourself. Be a man.

  • Catering Suppliers: Choosing the one for you

    I have talked a lot on this blog and others about tips and tricks for those of us in the catering business; what kind of events to focus on, what kind of equipment you might need and how to play to your audience and what they might be expecting. I have not, though, talked about it from a consumer point of view. What about those people out there who have a massive event coming up in their lives? The kind of event they want to be remembered by everyone who attends for the rest of their lives. I am talking about weddings, birthdays and anniversaries – those massive days so important to people.

     

    A lot of companies will offer you their services for these treasured days, but you need to think long and hard about who will do your event the justice it deserves. Talk to them, look at their products, talk to people who have used them – there is no substitute for this.

  • The occasional restaurant

    I know I am breaking the catering golden rule here but hear me out. I know we like to prepare, I know we like to cook, I know we like to design layouts and guest lists but it’s always important to see how those fabled, permanent establishments are dealing with the same issues. Restaurants are, in essence, permanent catering locations and offer a lot of lessons for people in catering to learn from. Even when they make mistakes we can take note.

     

    Do you like the way in which customers are laid out? Do you like the menu design? While restaurants don’t often have themed menus like you might cater for your guests, do you like the general split of the menu? Does it offer enough for vegetarians? If not what would you offer differently? It is always worth visiting these establishments to learn from people; both their successes and mistakes.

  • Takeaway for group events

    I know in a catering blog I should not talk too much about takeaways; after all I should be advocating cooking and food preparation done by you and professionals for large events! Right? Well that is true; I have written countless words about how best to cater weddings, birthdays, anniversaries and the like, but what about smaller scale events? Should you really worry about catering for a bunch of friends who are coming around on a saturday night who just want to put their feet up and have a few drinks?

     

    Of course you shouldn’t, it’s been a long week and the last thing you want to do is be cooking for 5 or 6 people. Instead why not just order in a curry? Throw some cash together as a group and choose what you like, share the rice and naan bread and take the pressure off the hosting and simply enjoy spending some time with your friends.

  • Opening up your own hotel

    The catering topics I have written about in the past have all assumed you were hosting an event and required something, or someone, to come and cater to some very specific requirements. But what about if you are opening your own establishment? Do you need to consider how food will be provided for your guests? What about where they’ll eat? Or what kinds of food your guests should be eating, and at what kind of events.

     

    Are you offering a buffet? If so you’ll need appropriate delivery methods; large troughs, plenty of plates and even more cutlery. What about if you’re planning a fancy restaurant? In that case your menu will need to reflect that; you’ll need chefs, waiters and a higher class of food. Certainly in that case you’ll be looking to attract a higher class of person as well. There are so many things to consider when dealing with your own catering and not just ordering it in.

     

  • Catering – It takes time to understand what’s required

    Catering is one fo those topics. Whether you’ve read countless articles, researched companies, researched locations and various types of events necessary for catering, you have to experience it to understand it.

    There are different forms of catering; buffets, hog roasts and party foods, and the trick to mastering them all is practice! Only then do people discover what’s really involved in catering.

    Timing, presentation and love are three important aspects, and if you can put in the time to develop your skills and improve speed, then you’ll succeed. Presentation skills are hugely important, and if your food doesn’t look nice it won’t get tasted, but of course, you can’t have pretty food that taste’s bland. It’s all about finding the balance, and the more practice you get in the more you’ll understand.

  • Catering Courses for Youths

    There are plenty of different catering courses to choose between, and whether you’re looking to go to a college, or looking to have one-on-one sessions with a catering tutor, you can pick up the skills very quickly.

    Obviously, if you’re a natural in the kitchen, you will have a head start, but you have to put in the time to reap the rewards. The more you study, practice and prepare, the better you will be when you get your own project underway.

    Even if you have a basic understanding on catering and little kitchen experience, you’ll learn the basics and improve your skills on a catering course. The more passion you have, the more successful you will be, and many people have their own dream of setting up a catering business and you could be next.